February Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Just like that, the first month of 2017 is already in the books and we are rolling into February. As usual, the activities and events calendar is filled with all kinds of exciting things that are happening around our community this month. 

Whether you are interested in getting together with friends, learning something new, competing at golf or tennis, or taking advantage of one of our excellent dinner specials, we have got you covered with all of the information you need to plan out the coming month so that you don’t miss out on any of the fun! 

Social Events 

The Big Show Series is taking the leadoff spot this month with their next big performance scheduled for Thursday, February 2 when Beginnings: The Ultimate Chicago Tribute Band will be taking the stage in the Activity Center Auditorium. Tickets for this event are $33 for members and $38 for guests, and there will be show times at 6 pm and 8:15 pm.

This year’s Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, February 5, and everyone is invited to the party at the Tiki Bar to watch the Atlanta Falcons take on the New England Patriots. The Tiki Bar will have food and drink specials ready to go for the big game, but seating is first-come, first serve, so make sure that you get there early! 

The Little Black Dress Club will be sponsoring a Valentine’s Day Fashion Show in the Hampton Room on Monday, February 13. The event starts at 11 am, and there will be a lunch served while fashions from the Inverness store Karma are modeled.

The Big Bang Team were the winners of last month’s Trivia Challenge, and the next one is scheduled for Tuesday, February 21. This month, the menu will include Sausage & Peppers and Baked Haddock.

For the second installment of the Big Show Series in February, the Activity Center Auditorium will roll out the red carpet for Freddy “Boom Boom” Cannon and Gary “US” Bonds. Tickets for this event are $44 for members and $49 for guests, and that also included an opening performance by Rocky and the Rollers.

Speaking of Rocky and the Rollers, they will also be performing for the 50’s Sock Hop in the Hampton Room on Tuesday, February 28. The doors open at 6:30 pm for this party, and there will be music and dancing from 7 pm to 10 pm.  

Arts & Education 

Throughout the month of February, Dr. Joe Coffee will be continuing his Great Decisions lecture series that provides a forum for the discussion of world affairs. This event is held in the Activity Center Auditorium every Wednesday night from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.  

If you are looking to get involved with one of the many clubs here at the Villages of Citrus Hills, there will be an Activities Club Showcase on Wednesday, February 15 in the Hampton Room. Representatives from many of the various clubs will be on hand to answer any questions you might have.  

For those people who absolutely adore their pets, you are also going to want to mark down the first Saturday in March on your calendar. There will be a group of residents heading out to the Paint Your Pet event at the Crystal River Mall on that morning at 10 am.  

Golf & Tennis

If golf is your game, there is plenty of action heading your way in the month of February. The action will kick off with the Valentine’s Open on The Oaks course on Saturday, February 4.

Then the intensity will really start to heat up with the Skyview Men’s Senior, Super Senior, Legends, and Super Legends Tournament on February 6 and 7, the Citrus Hills Men’s Club Championship on February 16 and 17, and the Skyview Men’s Member-Guest Tournament on February 24 and 25.

If your game isn’t quite ready for that level of competition, you should make a point to attend on of the many free golf clinics that golf pro Wayne Larsen will be hosting throughout the month. There will be clinics for beginners on February 6, 7, and 8. Then the intermediate level clinics will be held on February 14, 21, and 28. 

If tennis is your game, you can hone your skills at the Free Beginner Tennis Clinic on February 14 at 11 am. After a few weeks of practice, you might even be ready to compete in one of the exciting tennis tournaments that are planned for March and April. 

Dinner Specials

Our friends at Skyview Restaurant will be pulling out all of the stops to serve a fabulous Valentine’s Day Dinner on Tuesday, February 14. Then they will close out the month on February 28 with a Catch of the Seas dinner that will feature a wide range of great seafood options.  

If you are heading to see the Big Show Series on Thursday, February 2, make sure you stop at The Grille first for their Big Show Buffet. They will also be having a Sweetheart Valentine’s Dinner on February 14, and a Taste of New England dinner on February 28.  

BellaVita Spa 

BellaVita Spa is also going above and beyond for the month of February. So, if you are able to find any time for yourself this month, you are surely going to want to take advantage of the Wild Rose Facial and Shellac Spa Manicure specials that they will be running all month long.

If you have any questions about any of the events happening throughout the month, don’t hesitate to contact someone at the Activity Center Service Desk. They will either be able to help you directly or put you in touch with someone who can! 

For all the activities and events happening around the Villages of Citrus Hills click below into the link below for our Connections Club Newsletter for February 2017. 

http://www.citrushillsgolfandcountryclub.com/userfiles/file/February%202017%20Connections_ONLINE.pdf

6 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Spare Bedrooms

Whether you are downsizing, upsizing, or just looking to head south and avoid the cold winters, there is a good chance that you are going to find yourself with a little bit of extra space in your new home at the Villages of Citrus Hills.  

Every floor plan we offer contains at least one spare bedroom, and with many offering more than one extra bedroom and some even adding a study, many of our residents find themselves overwhelmed with space that they aren’t quite sure what to do with! 

In order to make sure that you are getting the most out of your spare bedrooms in terms of both storage and functionality, we put together a list of six great ideas that can quickly turn any extra bedroom into your new favorite room in the entire house! 

The Ultimate Home Office

The most common use for a spare bedroom these days is for a home office space. Just about everyone today has a desk and a computer, and the spare bedroom is usually the most reasonable place to set up shop. But if you want to make your home office really special, spend some time and effort tweaking all of the details to get it to function just the way you like.

Depending on how you plan on utilizing the space, this could mean anything from a larger desk and big filing cabinets to extra shelving for all of your favorite finance books and paper clip holders.  

A Space for Hobbies and Crafts

One popular twist on the home office is to create a room that is dedicated to all of the tools and supplies you need for your favorite hobbies and crafting projects. This could be as simple as an extra table set up with a few plastic bins of supplies, or it could be as elaborate as an all-out workshop.  

Whatever hobby or craft sparks your interest, having a designated place to pursue that passion is a wonderful luxury that will help you devote even more time and effort to perfecting your craft.  

Yoga and Meditation Room

Mental activities like yoga and mediation have been rapidly growing in popularity over the past few years, and having a dedicated space to work on your practice is one of the best ways to commit to that type of inner development.

While these practices don’t require much more than a simple mat on the floor, you can certainly improve the zen aspects of your spare room with some plants or a small fountain.  

Dressing Room

If you are anything like most people today, even a large walk-in closet just isn’t enough space for all of your clothing and accessories. That’s why using one of your spare bedrooms as a dressing room makes so much sense! Even if your clothing does fit in the large walk-in closet, having a room dedicated to accessories, make-up, and full-length mirrors can be a wonderful oasis when getting ready.  

Your Own Personal Library

Every serious reader has a collection of old books that can fill a few boxes. If you happen to be one of those people that has more than a few books, get those boxes out of the garage and up onto some shelves in your spare bedroom. Add in a comfortable armchair, and you’ve just created your very own library that can double as a quiet space to think! 

A Room for Guests

With all of these exciting ideas for getting the most out of your spare bedrooms, it can be easy to overlook the most obvious options like simply making the room into a place to accommodate guests. If you are going to be hosting friends and family from time to time, you want to be able to offer them comfortable accommodations, so keep that in mind when deciding on what to do with your extra bedrooms.  

Each of these six ideas can be a wonderful way to utilize the space in a spare bedroom on their own, but you are likely going to find that you want to utilize the space for more than one function. If this is the case, keep in mind that you don’t want one function to take away from the other, and make sure everyone in the house is on the same page with respect to what the room is supposed to be.  

After that, let your imagination run wild in all of that open space!

January Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Out with the old and in with the new as we have officially made our way into 2017! The new year is sure to be nothing but excitement over the course of the next 12 months, and our friends over at the Activity Center are doing everything in their power to make sure that you start out the year with a bang in January! 

With two different performances from the Big Show Series, multiple other social events and speakers, golf tournaments and clinics, and lots of great dinner specials, there is almost no end of all the activities you can participate in around the Villages of Citrus Hills this month. Let’s take a quick look at some of them. 

Social Events 

After we ring in the new year, we are going to get it started on the right foot with a performance from the legendary Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone in the Activity Center Auditorium on Thursday, January 5. Tickets for this show are going to be $44 for members and $49 for guests, and show times are set for 6 pm and 8:15 pm.  

Trivia experts will be getting together in the Hampton Room on Tuesday, January 17 for another edition of the Trivia Challenge Dinner & Game Show. Dinner this month will include Chicken Piccata and Sliced London Broil with Mushroom Sauce.  

The biggest party of the month will be the Classic Rock Dance Party happening on Tuesday, January 24 in the Hampton Room. Saratoga the Band will be rocking out all of your favorite classic rock tunes with doors opening at 6:30 pm and the music starting around 7 pm.

There will be a second performance from the Big Show Series when Paul Revere’s Raiders come to the Activity Show Auditorium on Thursday, January 26. Tickets for this show are $39 for members and $44 for guests, and they can be purchased at the Activity Center.  

Arts & Education 

Boules Wahba from Dynamic Computer Solutions will be at the Activity Center on Friday, January 13 to host another installment of Tech 101 from 10:30 and to 12:30 pm. This month, the topics will include many of the most common activities you will find yourself doing in some of the latest editions of Microsoft Windows.

There will also be another edition of the Speaker Series on Friday, January 13 with Richard K. Hurley discussing “How to Successfully Deal with the VA.” This event will take place in the Garden Room from 12 pm to 3 pm.  

A second Speaker Series event will be taking place with representatives from Michaels Floor Covering in the Activity Center Auditorium on Friday, January 27 at 4 pm. They will be discussing just about everything you ever wanted to know about different flooring options for your home.  

Golf & Tennis 

The first big golf event of 2017 will be the New Year’s Cross Country Open on Wednesday, January 7 starting at 8:30 am. If you’ve never played a cross country event before, this is a great opportunity to try out a really exciting and unique format.

The other big tournament in January will be the Men’s Ringer Tournament Major Event at Skyview on Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10. This will be a partner event where each team plays the best ball on each hole.  

If you are looking to improve your game in 2017, you can start by attending the Cleveland Golf Scoring Clinic on Monday, January 9 from 2 pm to 4 pm. The class is $149 per person, and everyone who attends will receive an RTX-3 Wedge.

There will also be opportunities to improve your skills at our regular Free Golf Clinics with Golf Pro Wayne Larsen. This month, the beginner clinics will take place on January 2, 3, and 4 while the intermediate clinics are scheduled for January 10, 17, and 24.  

Over at the Skyview Tennis Center, there will be a Free Beginner Tennis Clinic on Tuesday, January 10 at 11 am.

Dinner Specials 

One of the best ways to ring in the new year will be with the Taste of France dinner special on Tuesday, January 10 at The Grille. Diners will have their choice of entrees like Rosemary Lamb Chops, Veal Saltimbocca, and Cognac Shrimp. There will also be a special Carmel Flan dessert on the menu.

Out at the Tiki Bar, there is going to be a Winter Wonderland Buffet on Thursday, January 12. This buffet will include two different kinds of soup, as well as Beef Stroganoff and Green Bean Casserole. There will also be Warm Apple Crisp, Hot Chocolate, and a Coffee Bar. 

Over at Skyview Restaurant, you won’t want to miss their Season Celebration Buffet that is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17. This delicious meal will include all kinds of high-end hors d’oeuvres, as well as a salad bar, carving station, and pasta station.

Then on Tuesday, January 31, Skyview Restaurant will be hosting a four course Italian Wine Dinner where each of the delicious Italian foods is paired with a complementary wine that is straight from Italy. Tickets for this dinner are $65 per person and it will also include entertainment by Italian singer Humberto Zambrano.

In the event that you happen to find some time to pamper yourself in the first month of the new year, Bella Vita Spa is offering specials.  They will be doing Vitamin A Micro Peel Facials and a Vanilla Wild Plum Ultimate Spa Pedicure throughout the entire month, so make sure to put that on your to-do list as well and have a great month!

This is just a taste of what is happening in the month of January.  For a complete overview please visit our website and click on the Connections page.

10 Food Ideas That Will Make Your Home a Hit This Holiday Season

The holiday hosting season has officially arrived, and whether you are hosting your friends, family, or coworkers, everyone wants their holiday party to have that one amazing food item that everyone is still talking about at the next party.  

Luckily, thanks to all of our amazing friends, we don’t have any shortage of great ideas when it comes to foods that are perfect for those holiday parties. 

We’ve broken it down into the four holiday food groups: appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails! 

Appetizers 

Our first appetizer is a modern take on the classic meatball appetizer. You used to be able to blow your guests away with a traditional Swedish Meatball, but it takes a little more than that these days, and this Crock-Pot Cranberry Orange Meatball recipe has exactly what it takes.

Chips and dip are another staple of any holiday party, but this Holiday Wreath Taco Ring takes that basic concept to a whole new level. Scrap the chips altogether and start dipping these little slices of stuffed taco bread into homemade guacamole and your guests are sure to be impressed.

A perfect fit for any holiday party is a tray of bacon wrapped chestnuts. There’s a song dedicated to chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but they must have just been out of bacon, because this is the way your guests really want chestnuts prepared!

Entrees

Moving on to the main course, cranberries are one of the most festive holiday ingredients that you can include with any dish, and this version of balsamic roasted chicken mixes them with some fresh thyme for an absolutely amazing flavor combination.

Another tried and true holiday entree is a classic prime rib. Try a version with lots of garlic and rosemary, and then balance it out with a delicious horseradish cream sauce.

Desserts 

They say that presentation is 90% of taste, and if that is true then this amazing Gingerbread Trifle will surely impress everyone when it comes time for dessert. With layers of different berries stacked between layers of ginger bread and homemade whipped cream, this stunning dessert is almost too pretty to eat!

Another adorable dessert idea that is really easy to pull off are these little strawberry and whipped cream Santas. They might not be enough of a dessert on their own, but they are the perfect complement to any other desserts you might have planned.

Speaking of complementing your desserts, nothing does that job quite like a gourmet hot cocoa bar. Just set out a few bowls of accessories that your guests can add to their hot cocoa and they will surely still be talking about it at the next party!

Cocktails 

Having your own featured cocktail is another great way to set your holiday party apart from all the other ones this season. One of the simplest options is to dress up a classic vodka and cranberry with a bit of club soda and then some fresh cranberries and rosemary. All of a sudden, that simple drink looks instead like something out of a magazine.

If you prefer to make your cocktails in large batches, this Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch is another way to dress up the classic vodka and cranberry juice. This time, we’re adding some ginger ale and lemonade to make it into a punch and then garnishing with lemons, cranberries, and fresh mint leaves.

The most important ingredient for any holiday party is always going to be having the right people there, but once you have that in place, the next step is to impress them with something amazing. This list of ten unique food items should have you well on your way as far as that is concerned.  

Happy holidays!

December Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Just as we were starting to get used to 2016, the entire year has flown by and it’s time to start thinking about 2017. But even though the new year is right around the corner, there is still plenty of time to have some fun with all of the great events that our friends at the Activity Center have planned for the month of December.  

You might be looking for your favorite regular events like the Shabbat Dinner Club, Coffee and Canvas, the Free Beginners Tennis Clinic, or you might be more interested in once-a-year festivities like our annual New Year’s Eve party. Either way, we’ve got you covered with a packed calendar this month! 

Social Events 

We will kick off the holiday season with a festive holiday party at Skyview Restaurant from 6 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday, December 13. The party will feature a fabulous menu that starts with an Artisan Cheese and Fruit Display and ends with some amazing seasonal desserts. There will also be live music provided by our good friend Charlie De.

The Shabbat Dinner Club will be getting together on Friday, December 23 in the Garden Room at The Grille where the doors will be opening at 5:30 pm and dinner will be served at 6:15 pm. This month, diners will have the option of choosing from Chicken Piccata or Stuffed Tilapia Bercy.

The biggest party of the year will be the New Year’s Eve Celebration in the Hampton Room on December 31. This is a formal affair where black ties are optional, but the fun is mandatory! The evening will feature a fabulous dinner of Prime Rib and Napa Chicken, as well as professional DJs, a live band, and a live feed of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” in Times Square. 

Arts & Education Activities 

The speaker series will be back on Monday, December 5 at 1 pm in the Activity Center. This month, our guests will be B.J. Darvis from the UF/Citrus Cooperative Extension and Steven Davis who is the Citrus County Florida Yards and Neighbors Coordinator. Our guests will be discussing how to maintain your yards using Florida-friendly landscaping techniques.

Local artist Vanessa Fuller-Brown is at the Activity Center on Tuesday, December 6 for another installment of Coffee & Canvas. This month, the class will be working on replicating Georgia O’Keeffe’s “White Calla Lilies on Red.” If you have never been to a Coffee & Canvas event before, this is a great time of year to start. For just $60, members will be provided will all the supplies they need to recreate this classic painting.  

Golf & Tennis 

Vendors representing Ping, Callaway, Wilson, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, and Taylor Made will all be on hand for Demo Day at the Skyview Driving Range on Saturday, December 3 from 9:30 am to 3 pm. This is a great opportunity for golfers of all skill levels to try out some of the latest and greatest equipment, and even preorder some items that haven’t hit the market yet!

You can learn how to really put those new clubs to use by attending any of the Free Golf Clinics that are planned for the month of December. Golf Pro Wayne Larson will be instructing beginner golfers on December 5, 6, and 7. Then intermediate golfers will be invited to attend on December 13, 20, and 27. All clinics start at 11 am.  

Ready to put those new golf skills to work? Skyview will be hosting their Husband & Wife Championship on Monday, December 5. Then they will be having their annual Cross Country Golf Tournament, which is an absolute blast to participate in, on Friday, December 16.

The Oaks Course will be hosting the St. Nick Open on Saturday, December 10. This shotgun start tournament benefits Toys for Tots, and everyone attending is invited to bring an unwrapped toy to donate.

Dinner Specials 

As if you weren’t already going to have too much food to eat over the holiday season, there are also some amazing dinner specials lined up at each of our restaurants this month. Sunday Brunch will be back at Skyview Restaurant on December 18, and then you won’t want to miss out on their Brazilian Steakhouse Night on December 27.

The Tiki Bar will be hosting a Caribbean Christmas Buffet on Thursday, December 15 from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The island-style menu will feature Coconut Garlic Shrimp, West Indian-Style Chicken with Sauce Cien, Curried Goat, and lots of Caribbean sides. There will be live music from Steel of the Night.  

The Grille is having “A Taste of Asia” on December 6 that will give you the opportunity to try a wide range of Asian cuisine. They will also be hosting a fabulous New Year’s Eve dinner with entree selections of Blackened Scallops, Prime Rib, Surf & Turf, Stuffed Chicken, Ahi Tuna, and more!

Should you happen to find some time for yourself this month, you might want to make an appointment at BellaVita Spa, where the specials this month include a Cinnamon Enzyme Exfoliation Treatment, a Cranberry Spa Pedicure, and a Holiday Escape Massage. Any of those three choices would be an excellent way to finish out a wonderful year here at the Villages of Citrus Hills!